Come As You Are, Explore As You Can – Themes of META 2016

How many of us remember questioning our absurd religious beliefs, walking out of the theatres after watching Oh My God, or the dual nature of the police investigation after watching Talwar? The example given is to illustrate the sole purpose of art i.e. to provoke a thought in the mind of the audience and to question the conventions of the conventional time that we hold so tightly to our hearts.

Getting back to the previous point how many of us remember, how many of us really do remember watching a stage play and be shaken to the core of our hearts?

Arthur Adamov has correctly said that a stage play ought to be the point of intersection between the visible and invisible worlds. These could be the worlds that we see, touch and feel every day and the world that exists beyond. The cross is where the seeds of new ideas are sown and generated.

A thread that binds all the plays being shown in the 11th edition of META is the questions that they are courageous enough to raise, intelligent enough to make the audience think on their own, and sensible enough to not let any question go unanswered.

Kuhaimaravasigal (cave tree dwellers) is a play that focuses on the identity of migrants who are left from the ravages of war and poverty. Questions of who I am and who the other are provided direction by using props rooted in villages and forests.

The boundary between the real and unreal is crossed through the window panes of the balcony. A peek into the masks that everybody wears is portrayed in the play The Balcony. It is through these contours of the window that audience is influenced to move beyond the pretentions, unrealistic ambitions that have been built unconsciously into the lives.

The traditional interpretation of the roles of Man and Woman is challenged in Akshayambhara. Questions of female representation and male ownership are dealt with in this experimental play that employs a combination of modern theatrical tools and the dance drama form of Yakshagana. Who is the real woman and who is the real man? When tradition can accept a man as streevesha can that same tradition accept a man as purushavesha? These are some of the questions that would be raised and perhaps the audience can reach to a conclusion after watching the play.

Haoai — The Eleventh Planet is a story about three vagrants who have dreamt a utopian vision of the eleventh planet. Viewers are transported to this world where the question of whether dreams can transcend reality is asked.

There are some issues whose answers or questions have never been reached by a consensus. The debate between Faith and science, between miracles and logic, is one such issue. Agnes of God deals with the vulnerability of the human in comparison to the powerful forces of Universe. What happens when a nun gives birth and insists that the child was the result of an immaculate conception?

Different forms of Love are explored in Mein Huun Yusuf Aur Ye Hai Mera Bhai. Ali loves Nada, but because his brother Yusuf is odd he cant marry her. The story is set in the backdrop of a war.

Directed by Akash Khurana, A Friends Story takes one step ahead and sets an example for others to follow. This is an example of raising questions that are considered a taboo in the society. The story is a love triangle focused on obsession, jealousy, betrayal and a search for redemption.

While the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari attempts to give the spectator the power of weaving the plot together and bringing all the elements of theatre together to make it a total experience for the audience, After Death — The Spiritual Journey traces the beliefs and rituals of the Indian Bhil tribe.

07/07/07 is a realistic account of Reyhaney Jabbari who met Dr. Sarbandi on 7/07/07. The date is the fatal day that lends itself to the title.

— Samridhi Roy
The eleventh edition of Mahindra excellence in theatre awards (META) is being held from 5-11 march 2016 at LTG and FICCI auditoriums, New Delhi! Click here to book tickets.